Dec 11 - 20 2009 - Nutcracker @ Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, Orlando

The Nutcracker returns for the holiday season with the Orlando Ballet. Performed by the only professional ballet company in Central Florida, this production shines as brightly as ever with the caliber of performances audiences have come to love and anticipate.

On Christmas Eve, young Clara's family hosts a grand party where she is presented with a Nutcracker by her mysterious Uncle Drosselmeyer. That night, she dreams that her Nutcracker is transformed into a handsome prince who takes her to his kingdom, the Land of Sweets. There, she is entertained with lively and exotic dances from other lands. Flowers come to life and the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier perform a breathtaking pas de dux in Clara's honor. As the dream and the magical land fade into the night, Clara wakes in her own room again to realize that her treasured Nutcracker was what brought her dream to life.

Orlando Ballet will perform The Nutcracker at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre December 11-13 and 17-20, 2009. Curtain is at 7:30pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30pm on Sunday matinees.

Additionally, there will be a Family Series performance of The Nutcracker on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 11:00am. This hour-long, condensed version features all the highlights and is perfect for young audiences. At 10:00am, there will be a series of pre-show activities in the lobby including face-painting, story telling, coloring, photo opportunities with characters from The Nutcracker and basic ballet demonstrations.

For tickets and more information, call 407-426-1739 of visit www.orlandoballet.org.

VacationRentHouses.com

pooh's Playhouse is now included on the new listing site Vacation Rent Houses, check it out if you are looking for a vacation.

Jackson Brown Solo Acoustic Tour

BOB CARR PERFORMING ARTS CENTER NOV 17 2009

Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne kicks off his Fall 2009 Solo Acoustic Tour and plays the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre on November 17 at 8 pm. This is Browne's first solo acoustic tour since early 2008.

The stripped-down, unscripted nature of Browne's intimate solo performances can be experienced through two live albums recorded on previous solo acoustic tours in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia: the GRAMMY®-nominated Jackson Browne – Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 (2005) and Jackson Browne – Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2 ('08).In his four-star review of Vol. 2 for Rolling Stone, Anthony DeCurtis wrote, "Between songs, Browne speaks about his life and music with moving candor…This is Browne at his best, engaging his audience, his own experiences and the world around him, all in songs that will not lose their resonance any time soon."

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2009

Los Lobos

Celebrating Culinary Adventures from September 25 — November 8, 2009






In 2009, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, presented by Vanity Fair, makes its grand return, transforming the theme park into a destination filled with the world's tastiest regional foods and drinks, rockin' concerts, and unforgettable sensory experiences. Guests will delight in tantalizing new additions — from the robust and exotic flavors of Rio de Janeiro and Bangkok to world-class performers like Richard Marx, Billy Ocean and Vanessa Carlton... who will take the stage at the Festival for the very first time!

Eat to the Beat! Concert Series

Music pairs perfectly with tasty cuisine during nightly Eat to the Beat! Concerts — featuring a varied lineup of classic rock, soul, R&B, oldies, jazz and funk hit–makers. Concerts are performed 3 times each evening at America Gardens Theatre along the World Showcase lagoon. This year, 5 new acts will grace the stage, including Richard Marx, Vanessa Carlton and John Waite. Among the returning acts are Boyz II Men, Kool & The Gang, Los Lobos and many other world-class crowd-pleasers.

Location: World Showcase at Epcot America Gardens Theatre
Show Times: Daily — 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Please note that theme park admission is required and entertainment is subject to change without notice.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy September 25 — September 27
Richard Marx September 28 — September 29
Starship, Starring Mickey Thomas September 30 — October 3
En Vogue October 4 — October 6
Better Than Ezra October 7 — October 8
Sister Hazel October 9 — October 11
Kool & The Gang October 12 — October 13
Spyro Gyra October 14 — October 16
Jon Secada October 17 — October 18
Sister Sledge October 19 — October 20
Vanessa Carlton October 21 — October 22
Taylor Dayne - Oct 23 - 25
Boyz II Men Oct 26 - 28
John Waite Oct 29 - 31
Taylor Hicks November 1 — November 2
Billy Ocean November 3 — November 5
Los Lobos November 6 — November 8

Walt Disney World - park updates

Recent updates and changes to rides at Walt Disney World, Florida



Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom closed until 21 Nov
Flights of Wonder at Animal Kingdom closed 13 Sep to 23 Oct
Liberty Square Riverboat at Magic Kingdom closed 13 - 19 Sep
Donald's Boat in Toontown at Magic Kingdom closed 7 - 13 Sep
Living with the Land at Epcot closed until 1st Nov

Live concerts - North Florida

Aug 21 | Luis Fonsi | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Aug 22 | Crosby, Stills and Nash | Ruth Eckerd Hall | Clearwater, FL

Aug 22 | Oscar D'Leon with The Latin Project | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Aug 26 | OAR with Brett Dennen | Tampa Bay Perf Arts Ctr Morsani Hall | Tampa, FL

Aug 28 | Motley Crue with Godsmack, Theory of a Deadman,.. | Ford Amphitheatre | Tampa, FL

Aug 28 | OAR with Brett Dennen | St. Augustine Amphitheatre | St. Augustine, FL

Aug 29 | Junkie Rush and B-Liminal with Social Ghost,.. | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Sep 1 | Paolo Nutini with Anya Marina | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Sep 2 | Down with Melvins and Weedeater | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Sep 4 | Depeche Mode | Ford Amphitheatre | Tampa, FL

Sep 4 | Badfish with Scotty Don't and Ballyhoo! | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Sep 5 | Lil Wayne with Young Jeezy, Drake and Soulja.. | Ford Amphitheatre | Tampa, FL

Sep 11 | Pet Shop Boys | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Sep 12 | Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band | Ford Amphitheatre | Tampa, FL

Sep 13 | Secondhand Serenade with Parachute, Evan.. | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Sep 15 | Living Colour | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Sep 16 | Motorhead and Reverend Horton Heat | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Sep 17 | She Wants Revenge with Kill Hannah and Paper.. | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Sep 18 | Mitchel Musso with KSM and Jimmy Robbins | House of Blues Orlando | Lake Buena Vista, FL

Sep 20 | Mitchel Musso | State Theatre | St Petersburg, FL

Disney raise ticket prices

Traditionally Disney raise their prices every August, and this year is no exception.
From Sunday 2 August 2009, Disney World increased the base price of a one-day, one-park ticket to $79 -- up $4, or 5.3 percent. The price of a similar ticket for a child between the ages of 3 and 9 will climb $5, or 7.9 percent, to $68.


Prices for the resort's more popular multiday-ticket packages will also rise, climbing between 2.6 percent and 4.7 percent. In keeping with Disney World's strategy of driving guests toward extra days in its parks - rather than those operated by rivals Universal Orlando or SeaWorld Orlando - the smallest increases are reserved for tickets good for four or more days.

Disney will also raise the price of adding a "Park Hopper" feature to any ticket -- which allows a customer to visit multiple Disney parks in one day -- to $52, up from $50. The price of adding a "Water Park Fun & More" feature, which allows admission to secondary venues such as water parks and DisneyQuest, will also rise to $52 from $50.

Still excellent value are tickets from here: http://www.park-tickets.com/?villa=148